Archived: Laburnums

Updated 21 May 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection was undertaken by one inspector on 6 and 9 May 2016 and was unannounced.

Before the inspection, we looked at information that we had received about the service. This included information we received from the local authority and any notifications from the provider. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.

During the inspection process, we spoke with five people who received a service. We also spoke with the registered manager, the service manager and three staff working in the service.

We looked at two people’s care and medicines records. We looked at records relating to seven staff. We also looked at the provider’s arrangements for supporting staff, managing complaints and monitoring and assessing the quality of the services provided at the home.

Updated 21 May 2016

We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 24 and 25 June 2015. Breaches of legal requirements were found. This inspection took place on 6 and 9 May 2016.We found that the required improvements had been made to the safety and quality of the service and legal requirements were met.

Laburnums is registered to provide personal care and accommodation for up to 9 people who have a learning disability. There were six people receiving a service on the day of our inspection, including one person who was in hospital.

A registered manager was in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Improvements were noted to the management of risks both for individual people and to the environment so as to ensure people’s safety. This included the safety of the premises and equipment used. Equipment such as that relating to fire or moving and handling equipment had been tested and checked to ensure it was safe and in good working order.

Systems to monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service were being effectively implemented. Regular checks were being completed by the staff, the registered manager and the provider’s representative to ensure action was taken where needed to improve the service.

Staff were knowledgeable about identifying abuse and how to report it to safeguard people. Recruitment procedures were thorough. Risk management plans were in place to support people to have as much independence as possible while keeping them safe. There were also processes in place to manage risks in relation to the running of the service.

Medicines were safely stored, recorded and administered in line with current guidance to ensure people received their prescribed medicines to meet their needs. People had support to access healthcare professionals and services. People had choices of food and drinks that supported their nutritional or health care needs and their personal preferences.

People were supported by skilled staff who knew them well and were available in sufficient numbers to meet people's needs effectively. People’s dignity and privacy was respected and they found the staff to be friendly and caring. People were supported to participate in social activities including community based outings.

Staff used their training effectively to support people. The manager understood and complied with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the associated Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Staff were aware of their role in relation to MCA and DoLS and how to support people so as to ensure their rights were respected and met.

Care records were regularly reviewed and showed that the person had been involved in the planning of their care. They included people’s preferences and individual needs so that staff had clear information on how to give people the support that they needed. People told us that they received the care they required.

The service was well led; people living and working in the service knew the registered manager and found them to be approachable and available in the home. People had the opportunity to say how they felt about the home and the service it provided. Their views were listened to and actions were taken in response. The provider and registered manager had comprehensive systems in place to check on the quality and safety of the service provided and to put actions in place to improve it.